


A Garden By Any Other Name

by milou407



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, First Kiss, Get Together, Greek God Enjolras, M/M, Persephone Cycle, but im not, but not the one you'd expect, hades!enjolras, i totally messed it up, im so sorry, is there anything more to say, persephone myth, persephone!grantaire, theres a garden, what even is this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-12
Updated: 2015-01-17
Packaged: 2018-03-07 06:07:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3164102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milou407/pseuds/milou407
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A re-telling of the Persephone myth, starring some of our favorites of the Les Amis. That's it. That's the fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this really is an idea which got out of hand, but I couldn't let it die. I don't even know where it came from, but here it is. Also, I assigned each of the characters a god/dess, even if they don't appear in the fic. I have a list!  
> Combeferre-Zeus, Courfeyrac-Poseidon, Enjolras-Hades, Eponine-Demeter, Grantaire-Persephone, Cosette-Aphrodite, Marius-Hermes, Bahorel-Ares, Joly-Apollo, Jehan- Hestia, Musichetta-Athena, Feuilly-Artemis, Bossuet-Hephasteus, Montparnasse-Dionysus  
> Most of them don't appear in the fic, actually, but this was fun anyway.  
> Much thanks to Duke307, my beta and platonic life partner <3  
> Comments are lovely and always appreciated!

It was a lovely spring day outside of Sicily, and Grantaire was sitting in a meadow, collecting flowers. Alright, technically he was making the flowers grow around him and then picking them, but it's basically the same thing. And if he wants some flowers, he'll grow some damn flowers. He's the god of spring, what else is he going to use his powers for?

Anyway. He was sitting in the field when his life went to hell in a hand basket, quite literally. Eponine had just left to respond to the prayers of some mortals whose crops were doing poorly, so Grantaire was in the field alone, admiring his flowers when the sky began to darken, a great cloudbank covering the area. Grantaire was getting up to leave, because rain really isn't his thing unless it's a light, replenishing rain, not these crazy thunderstorms Combeferre sometimes unleashes, but before he could go anywhere he heard a rumbling noise coming from beneath the earth. Suddenly, the ground burst open and a huge black chariot came rushing out, pulled by what looked like skeletal horses. The chariot itself was ornate, made of onyx, silver, and what seemed to be darkness or shadows molded into corporeal form. It was badass, is what Grantaire is saying. But the truly breath-taking thing was the man standing in the chariot, holding the reins. Tall, lean, and pale, the man held himself with an air of regality, as some of the gods were apt to do. His blond curls were brushed back, making a golden halo around his head, but it was his eyes that were truly striking. They were a clear, bright cobalt blue the likes of which Grantaire had never seen before on gods or mortals. Only one god could be so composed after storming through the earth to trample a field of (perfectly lovely) flowers. 

"Enjolras," Grantaire drawled, desperately trying to appear unimpressed. "Is there a reason you've decided to interrupt me? I wasn't aware that you were in the habit of ruining peoples' days."

Although Grantaire had seen Enjolras before, they hadn't had much time to interact because they usually didn't talk much to each other on Olympus. That hadn't stopped Grantaire developing a hopeless crush on the other god, but that was really beside the point. Whenever Grantaire was in Olympus, Enjolras was always with Combeferre and Courfeyrac, discussing very important "Big Three" matters which surely couldn't be discussed with the less important gods. Grantaire was usually with Eponine and Jehan anyway, who watched over the fields and the hearth, when he wasn't over-indulging with Montparnasse. Whenever he did see Enjolras, he made the most of it, trying to memorize whatever he could when he was around the man for a few minutes. Not that he hadn't noticed Enjolras watching him, because he definitely had been. To be fair, Grantaire was usually staring at him also, but really, Enjolras wasn't the one with the pining problem, that was Grantaire. So what did he want?

"Grantaire. It's good to see you outside of Olympus. You look...well." He probably looked like a nymph, with flowers in his hair and grass stains on his toga. But the man had surprised him, it wasn't his fault if he looked like he had been lying in a field all day. He hadn't been planning on having an audience. 

"Right, well," Grantaire began to leave before this could become any more awkward. "This has been lovely, but I'm going to go now. Nice talking to you, don't go around scaring anyone else today," Grantaire turned to walk away, but Enjolras' voice called him back.

"Wait, Grantaire, please," Enjolras' voice was plaintive, even pleading. What the hell was going on? Enjolras _never_ pleaded. With anyone. Over anything. What the hell? Grantaire turned back around, and stared at the uncomfortable look on Enjolras' face. Wait, uncomfortable? Okay, fuck, seriously, what was going on?

Enjolras looked down at his feet and shifted slightly. "I was wondering if you would accompany me to the Underworld." He seemed to steel himself and raised his head, staring straight an Grantaire with those impossibly blue eyes. "Actually, I'm requesting that you accompany me. Now, preferably."

"You're... what?" Grantaire was so confused. What was happening exactly? "I'm sorry, I have no idea what is going on. You want me to come down to the Underworld with you? And do what, exactly?"

"Rule with me. Be my consort," Enjolras shrugged, a tense set to his shoulders. "You'd be my king."

What the actual fuck. 

"We've shared exactly one conversation now," Not counting the few times Grantaire had listened to him rage about the injustices humans commit on one another. "And you want me to marry you? Are you fucking crazy?"

Enjolras' face hardened, "Are you refusing to come with me?"

"Damn right I am," No matter how stunning he looked in black. "I'm not that easy you know. I need to be wooed." What? _Wooing?_ Where the hell did that come from? He was asking Enjolras to woo him now?

"Well then, I suppose you leave me no other choice." Enjolras' eyes gleamed dangerously, and he made a motion with his hand. A slip of the dark shadow that made up part of the chariot started to slither toward Grantaire.

"What- what the _hell_ is that thing?" Grantaire backed away, but the thing followed him, and before he could start running, it had wound around his wrists and secured them in front of him. It felt cool and smooth, not unlike a snake, and it was strong, rendering Grantaire unable to pull away as it began to drag him toward the chariot. 

"What the _fuck?!_ Let me _go_ you absolute dick! Are you _shitting_ me right now? Eponine! Jehan! _Eponine! Ep_ \- Mmph!" Grantaire's voice was cut off as another rope of the shadow gagged him, leaving him unable to do anything but glare up at Enjolras as he was herded unceremoniously into the chariot. 

"I'm truly very sorry Grantaire, but this is really my only option. Hold on, this might get a bit rough." With that, the ground opened up beneath the chariot, and they were suddenly falling through the earth into darkness. 

\--

Eponine strode angrily into the throne room, all of the plants in pots she passed withering and dying at the anger rolling off of her in waves. "Combeferre! _Combeferre!_ I need to talk to you right now!"

Combeferre rose out of his throne and quickly walked down to meet her. "Eponine! Is something wrong? What is the matter?"

"Where the _hell_ is Grantaire?"

Combeferre leaned away, confused and concerned. "Excuse me?"  
"You heard me! Where the hell is R? I left him outside of Sicily, and then I heard him calling, fucking _screaming_ for me, and when I ran back to look for him, he was gone. There were traces of magic around where I had left him, and I know one of the gods had something to do with it. Now, I need to _fucking_ know where Grantaire _fucking_ is right _fucking_ now." She punctuated each of the last words with a poke to Combeferre's chest, almost snarling by the end.

Combeferre took a step back, his eyes snapping angrily. He was usually very calm and collected, but now his stormy grey eyes were hard and his face was taut. 

"Calm down, Eponine. I know you're worried, but that's not a reason to get upset with me. Grantaire is fine, he's in no danger. If I thought he was going to be harmed, I would tell you. You should put this out of your mind. It's no business of yours."

Eponine had backed down at the reproach, but she flared up again at the end of his words. "Like hell it isn't! R is the only family I've got left, and if you know where he is, you need to tell me right _now!_ " Her voice broke, and the fight went out of her. Eponine's shoulders slumped, and her head was bowed. "Please Combeferre. I need to get him back, he's all I have left. Just tell me where he is, I'll do anything."

"I'm sorry, Eponine, but I gave my word that I wouldn't tell anyone where Grantaire has gone. I don't even know if he wants to come back." His eyes softened, and Combeferre looked down at Eponine with pity. "As soon as I know that he's unhappy where he is, I'll be sure to give you his location so you can retrieve him."  
Eponine gave him a sad smile. "I guess that's all I can ask for. I'll tell Jehan. Thanks, Combeferre." She walked out of the throne room with her head hung low. Combeferre sighed and went back to sit at his throne. He really hoped that Enjolras knew what he was doing.


	2. Chapter 2

When Grantaire awoke, he was on a fairly comfortable bed in a small but well-lit room. The whole color scheme was black on black on black, with some silver thrown in. The walls were lined with torches flickering with yellow and orange flames, creating dancing shadows against the floor. And his head felt like it was about to split open, which was ridiculous because he hadn't even been drinking. He tried to get up, but sat back down when his head began spinning too much to successfully be able to walk to the door. Fucking Enjolras and his fucking shadow travel. Who the hell does he think he is? Just because he's the ruler of the goddamn Underworld doesn't mean he had complete control over everyone else. Grantaire had just managed to gather the strength to swing his legs over the side of his bed when one of the two doors in his room opened and Enjolras strode in. He still held himself like a king, but his face looked apprehensive and his eyes were wary. Which was good because Grantaire was _fucking pissed._

"Alright asshole, what the hell was that?" Grantaire demanded as soon as Enjolras approached him, "You think it's just okay to abduct someone in broad daylight? What the _fuck_ do you want so badly that you had to forcibly remove me from the outside world?"

Enjolras met his eyes and quickly looked away, fixing his gaze resolutely on the wall above Grantaire's shoulder. "I hope you'll be comfortable, and that you'll enjoy being here. If you need anything, please contact me or speak to one of the servants, they'll get you anything you want."

"Oh no, Mr. Dark and Mysterious, you don't get away with a deflection like that. Answer the damn question: what am I doing here?"

Their eyes finally met, and Grantaire could see warmth, but also nervousness in that deep blue gaze. "I meant what I said. I want for you to be mine, but if you want to be difficult, so be it. You told me to woo you, so I will."

" _What?_ Are you serious? I was joking! I didn't mean for you to spirit me away!"

Looking away again, Enjolras sighed. "I did ask you to come with me willingly. If the only way to get you down here was by accepting your challenge, then I was more than ready to do so." He seemed to shake himself and gather his thoughts, and Enjolras met Grantaire's eyes once again. "I hope you'll be satisfied with your accommodations during your stay. This door," He gestured to the door he had entered from, "Leads to the rest of the house, and this one," He motioned to the other door in the room, "Leads out into the garden. If you need anything, you can ring one of the servants." Still wary, Enjolras inclined his head to Grantaire in a gesture of deference. "I will leave you to yourself. Until later." And with that, the god of death swept from the room, swinging the door shut behind him. 

Grantaire stared at the closed door for a moment, trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened. He was now in the Underworld with Enjolras, who was determined to make Grantaire his bride or something, and also kind of on house arrest. He shook his head and got up, heading for the second door because he absolutely _had_ to see what kind of garden Enjolras had come up with in the depths of hell. 

He opened the door and stepped outside. The sky was permanently gray and overcast, which made the days appear to be in eternal twilight. A black wall surrounded the garden, seeming to be made of the same shadow material that the chariot was. Beyond the wall, Grantaire could see fields stretching in every direction, dead and brown. Now that he was outside, he could see that his temporary home was an imposing building set in the middle of the fields. Not as big as the palace on Olympus, but still pretty large. In truth, the Underworld wasn't all that impressive.

Oh, but the _garden._

Despite being the land of death, the garden was incredibly lush and enormous. How Enjolras had managed to get all of these plants to grow down here, Grantaire didn't know, but he was damn impressed. There were fruit trees in the back, forming a small orchard against the far wall. Black stone paths wound their way through, bisecting flower beds and bushes, turning the garden into a quilt of colors interspersed with black. It took Grantaire an hour to wander all the way through, overcome with the beauty of such an intricate creation, and while he walked, the plants sprouted new life and leaned towards him. He waved his hand, and the flowers bloomed, dozens of them flowering at once, filling the air with their scents and covering the ground in a cacophony of colors. Grantaire beamed as he watched them bloom and grow, creating a sanctuary of beauty in the middle of the barren fields. Being the god of spring was a pretty light job, but it did have some perks. 

"Well, I'm glad you like it. I was afraid you'd turn up your nose." Grantaire startled as he heard Enjolras' voice in the silence. He turned and could see Enjolras leaning on a bench at the edge of the path, seemingly uneasy among the plants. 

"What, turn down this? I might still be upset at being kidnapped, but I'm not that petty. This is amazing," Grantaire said, still staring wonderingly at the greenery around him. "How long did it take you to do this? You probably couldn't grow the plants yourself, especially being underground, so you must have had to transport them all. They're absolutely beautiful."

Enjolras should be forbidden from looking so smug. Ever. He looked completely ridiculous when he was smug, not cute at all. Absolutely not. "I had some of my messengers aid me, but yes, I did have to transport them. It took a long time. Once planted, however, they thrived. I've been watering them with nectar," He mentioned fondly, stroking the petals of the plant closest to him. It didn't die as Grantaire would have expected, with him being the lord of the dead and all, but it also didn't flourish the way they did when Grantaire touched them. 

Grantaire made his way over to the bench Enjolras was leaning against, and sat. Enjolras gingerly lowered himself next to Grantaire, almost hesitant in his movements, as if he were afraid he would be barred from sitting in his own garden. They sat in silence for a few moments, Enjolras playing with a flower he had picked from the nearest plant. It was shaped like a star and violet, with a yellow center. 

"This one is my favorite," He said quietly, turning it over in his hands. "I love the way the flowers look. The yellow and purple contrasting, beautiful in their difference. They're so delicate."

Grantaire inspected the flower in his grasp and snorted, chuckling to himself. Enjolras looked over at him, curious. "What's so funny?"

"You could have picked any flower in this garden to be your favorite. But of course Enjolras, the god of death, had to pick Nightshade, one of the most deadly plants, as his most favored flower." Grantaire took the small blossom and placed it behind Enjolras' ear, still smirking. "You're a cliché, that's what's so funny."

"Well alright then," Enjolras responded, eyes bright with mirth and a smirk on his lips, "What's your favorite then? Something obscure and unique?"

"Absolutely not," Grantaire grinned, "Mine's just as cliché as yours." He pointed to a cluster of yellow flowers near the base of a pomegranate tree. "Daffodils. Symbolizing rebirth and new beginnings," he shrugged, still smiling slightly, "They make me happy."

He looked up and met Enjolras' eyes again, seeing the warmth and affection that had been present before. It confused him, but at the same time made something in his chest feel hot and tight. Enjolras broke their gaze first, standing and taking the flower out of his hair, holding it in the palm of his hand. He lightly closed his fist around it and turned back to Grantaire. 

"I still have some things I need to attend to, so I will leave you alone," He paused, then looked directly at Grantaire again, seeming to steel himself. "Perhaps I'll see you at dinner?" How exactly was Grantaire supposed to resist the puppy eyes? They were _precious._ Even on a grown man. 

"Yes. Um, I mean, sure. Yeah, I'll be there," Grantaire stumbled over the words, not wanting to sound too reluctant or too anxious, only half aware of what he was agreeing to.

"Great," Whatever he had agreed to, it was worth it to see Enjolras smile like that, bright and loose. "Oh, and you should know that you can't eat any of the food from the garden." Enjolras shifted where he stood, smile gone and face blank. "I'll explain the reasoning later, just please don't."

"Sure, whatever you say." Grantaire watched Enjolras walk away, and when he judged he was out of earshot and out of sight, he dropped his head in his hands and groaned. The man had _made him a garden._ The sweet bastard had done something that he knew Grantaire would love, although it had probably taken him weeks. Well, there was no denying it now. Grantaire was _completely fucked._ Oh gods. Eponine was going to kill him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are lovely, I love to hear what you think. I should update again Thursday, but I might move it up if I get bored.  
> Come visit on tumblr at shipalltheboats.tumblr.com  
> Much love


	3. Chapter 3

Grantaire came back into the house only once a servant had come to fetch him, he was so entranced by the garden. He was convinced it was his new favorite place in the entire fucking world. When he entered the dining room, he was surprised to see only a small table, one that could seat six, set for two. Enjolras was already seated, and talking with one of the servants. He looked up when Grantaire entered, and a blinding smile flashed across his face. Seriously, how could anyone _not_ love that smile? 

"Hello!" Enjolras was the god of death, how could he possibly be so chipper? "I was waiting for you, I thought you might have gotten lost."

"No, just lost track of time," Grantaire felt a soft grin spread across his face as a match to Enjolras' own. "Thank you again for the garden, it's absolutely amazing."

"You said to woo you," His eyes gleamed with mischief and warmth, "I was serious." 

"Well, I believe you now." Looking around the table, Grantaire saw it was laden with fresh food, none of which he could have imagined coming from the Underworld. "Where did   
you get all of this?"

Enjolras almost appeared nervous, he broke his gaze and stared at his plate. "It's all from the Earth, none of it comes from the Underworld, you don't have to worry."

"Why would I worry?" Grantaire's brow furrowed in confusion. The food down here wasn't poisonous, as far as he knew. 

"There are... rules which come with eating the food grown in the Underworld." Their eyes met, Enjolras' eyes filled with determination, as if he was resolved to get his words out. "If you eat food from this part of the world, you won't be able to leave. You'll have to stay with me, forever."

Grantaire raised his eyebrows teasingly, "Forever? Isn't that a little dramatic?"

Enjolras snorted, and Grantaire startled at such an undignified sound coming from the man, "Well, forever might be a big of an exaggeration. But you won't be able to leave until I let you, anyway. It's a remnant of a very old curse, one that has no point anymore. So it might be in your best interest to stay away from the fruit in the garden."

"If you say so," He began putting food on his plate, and looked back up to see Enjolras watching him, "What?"

"I expected you to react more strongly, is all," He turned back to his plate, a smile on his face, "You constantly surprise me."

Grantaire felt his cheeks flush, and knew there was another loose grin on his face, and abruptly decided that he didn't care. He focused on his food, instead of on the hot, tight feeling which was again residing in his chest, and on bickering with Enjolras for the remainder of their meal. He decided he might not hate it in the Underworld. The company wasn't too bad, after all. 

\----

Although Enjolras had claimed that he had brought Grantaire to the Underworld to be his "consort" (and seriously, who used words like consort?), he had actually been very polite and had left Grantaire his space, although they spent a huge amount of time together. Well, he did until Grantaire went into his room one night to find Enjolras sitting on his bed, reading a letter. Now, Grantaire would definitely _not_ have been upset to find Enjolras waiting on his bed, but unfortunately, the man was wearing an uncomfortable expression as well as all of his clothes. 

"Well, what can I do for you?" Grantaire asked, flopping down beside him on the bed, "Not that this isn't a nice surprise, but you usually don't sneak into my room, so I'm feeling like this is a special occasion."

Enjolras was still looking distinctly uncomfortable, and a long moment passed before he replied. "I received a letter today from Combeferre. It seems that your absence did not go unnoticed. Eponine is very upset and Combeferre wants me to return you to the surface."

His stomach suddenly felt like ice, and Grantaire felt like the air had been knocked out of him. "So what does that mean? Is he commanding you? I know he's king of the gods, but do you have to obey?"

"No," Enjolras snorted, "Combeferre would never command anyone, if he could help it. But he did manage to communicate that you might not be...pleased, being held here, and I would never wish for you to be unhappy while with me." He looked up and met Grantaire's eyes, and there was a surprising sadness there. "So I came here to tell you that you are free to go if that is what you wish."

Grantaire stared at Enjolras in shock. "So, you're telling me that I can go? All it takes is a strongly worded letter from Combeferre and you renounce your kidnapping ways forever?"

Enjolras looked like it pained him, but he forced the words out, "Yes, apparently so. And I would never want to do anything to make you uncomfortable or unhappy. That was not my intention, and I apologize. You may leave now, I will not stop you." He looked away and bit his lip. 

Freedom, it turned out, was not the joyous feeling Grantaire had imagined. In fact, he felt kind of... hollow? Oh fuck. Maybe he didn't want freedom as badly as he had thought.   
"What if I don't want to leave?" Enjolras' head whipped around and stared at him incredulously. "I mean, I like being here. With you. And the garden. But specifically, with you. Because you- I mean, I- because- fuck it." And with that, Grantaire grabbed Enjolras' face and pulled him into a searing kiss.

At first, Enjolras was unresponsive, which was terrifying and Grantaire had started to pull back, but suddenly Enjolras _moaned_ and wasn't that the most amazing sound. Far from being unresponsive, Grantaire now found he was getting more thoroughly kissed than he ever had in his life. After a little while of _the best kiss he had ever had,_ Enjolras pulled away and looked at him with awe.

"So it worked?" He really was the most adorable thing, he looked like a small child who had just been given the best present, "Was it the garden? It was a very impressive garden."

Grantaire laughed and kissed him again. "No, you idiot. It wasn't the garden. I've been in love with you for a long time, I was just pissed at being kidnapped. Especially since I thought you didn't know who I was." 

"You thought I hadn't noticed you? That's ridiculous, I-" Realization dawned, and Enjolras cut himself off, "Wait. Love? You love..."

"You." Grantaire kissed his nose because it was there and he could, "Yes, you crazy bastard, I love you. I have for quite a while. It's embarrassing."

"No, it's really not embarrassing, I love you too." Now the awe was back, accompanied by a blinding smile. "I love you, with your sharp wit and kindness and flowers and you're really just amazing and even though I kidnapped you, but you're staying anyway." There was so much happiness in his voice that Grantaire's heart _ached_ and he knew that he needed to stay with this man forever and he absolutely had to kiss him again. 

"Yes, in spite of the kidnapping I love you a ridiculous amount and I never want to leave." With that, Grantaire pounced and knocked Enjolras flat on his back on the bed, leaning over him with a predatory grin. "Now that we've established that I'm staying forever, do you think we could find something to fill our time?" Once he had finished speaking, he began to leave biting kisses on Enjolras' jaw and down his neck.

Enjolras gasped and threw his head back. "I'm pretty sure we could think of something," he said breathlessly, and Grantaire chuckled as he pulled his shirt over his head. 

\----

Needless to say, they didn't emerge from his room for some time.

\----

"Combeferre! Courfeyrac! I have to tell you something!"

They looked up from their discussion and watched as Marius landed before them, obviously distressed and almost vibrating with impatience. 

"Marius, what's wrong?" Combeferre tried to soothe him, since everyone knew that an upset Marius was a useless Marius. "Calm down and tell us what has happened."

"It's Eponine! She's ruined everything! Nothing's growing, the earth is completely brown and gray, the mortals are freaking out, and no one knows what's going on," Marius looked at least a little more calm now that he had explained what had happened, but he was still visibly disturbed. "You have to talk to her, one of you. She's not going to stop it until she gets what she wants. And everyone's talking about Grantaire disappearing, and he's been gone for almost a week now, no one's seen him. Or Enjolras, but that's not surprising, he's never here anyway. 'Ferre, Courf, please help. The mortals can't die, we need them." Marius' pleading face was legendary. He looked like a baby deer, all big eyed and uncertain. 

Combeferre sighed, "Yes Marius, I'll see what I can do. Now please, go back to your duties. You have a job to do." Once Marius had left again, Combeferre buried his face in his hands and groaned. Courfeyrac looked worried, but unsympathetic, and watched Combeferre's moment of weakness closely. 

"You knew this would happen. Why did you let Enjy do what he wanted? It never ends well, and now Ep's pissed and who knows what's happening with Grantaire. Seriously, have you heard from him? He could be locked in Enjolras' dungeon, and not in the fun way. This was not your best decision, 'Ferre."

"I know. But you saw how upset Enjolras was. He was sulking, Courfeyrac. What am I supposed to do about the sulking? You know how persuasive he can be. And in my defense, I didn't think that Enjolras would kidnap Grantaire. Who kidnaps the person they're desperately in love with? It doesn't even make sense. I tried to talk some sense to him with that letter, but it looks like that wasn't helpful at all."

Courfeyrac leaned back in his chair and sighed, "Right, but this is Enjolras we're talking about. When has he ever done things the easy way?"

Combeferre nodded in agreement. No one would ever say that Enjolras was easy. "Alright, I guess I should talk to Eponine. Can you get a message to her?"

"Sure, I can do that," Courfeyrac rose to leave, "Are you sure you don't need anything? A foot rub, some chocolate? You look stressed, 'Ferre."

His smile was tired, but genuine, "Thanks Courfeyrac, but I'm fine. Just send Eponine to me, please?"

He turned back to his work, and didn't hear Courfeyrac leaving the room. 

\--

This time, when Eponine strode into the throne room, she was composed and calm, no longer as openly worried or hurt as she had been the last time. When she came to a stop in front of Combeferre, she met his eyes coolly and stood waiting in silence.

Combeferre broke first as he sighed and said, "What is the reason for this famine, Eponine? You can't punish the mortals for something they have no control over. This is hurting no one but them, and you aren't accomplishing anything by it."

She sneered and raised an eyebrow, "If I really wasn't accomplishing anything, you wouldn't have called me in. I know how much you care about those mortals, and I do too. The only difference is that I care more about getting my friend back, and so I'm willing to sacrifice them if it means I can find R."

Combeferre sat and put his face in his hands, a gesture that was becoming more common the more he interacted with the other gods. "I can't just order Grantaire back, it doesn't work that way. To take him forcibly would start a pointless war, something none of us can afford right now. I don't know what you want me to do, try to convince him to come back? That would just be a fruitless journey, and would be a waste of time."

"A waste of time?" Eponine's eyes flashed dangerously as she stalked toward where Combeferre was seated, rapidly losing her calm demeanor, "R is many things, but he is not a waste of time. I will do everything in my power to find him, and the mortals will not be the only collateral damage if I end up losing him. Grantaire is precious, and if he is gone, I don't know what I'll do, but I know I'll blame you. I need him back, Olympus needs him back, and so do the mortals. He is my family, and he is worth everything to me." She backed off, trying to recover her previous composure and calm herself. "So, here's what's going to happen. You're going to find Grantaire and bring him back, or at least let me talk to him. If you can make that happen, I'll bring back the life and let the humans have food again. If not, the earth will never support another living plant or animal again," She shrugged, "But really, it's your choice." With that, she turned and walked out of the throne room.

Combeferre waited until she had left to release his huge sigh. " _Dammit_ Enjolras," He grumbled, getting up, "You had to make everything so difficult with your _love_ and your _destiny_. Let's see how you like it when _you_ have a pissed off earth goddess coming after you." He groaned and walked out into the sunlight. 

"Alright. Time to see what Enjolras is up to."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are loved and appreciated!   
> Thanks for sticking with this story, last chapter should be up on Saturday and that'll be it!  
> Come visit on tumblr at shipalltheboats.tumblr.com  
> Much love


	4. Chapter 4

The days spent in the underworld were peaceful, which Grantaire definitely hadn't expected. Most of his time was spent in the garden, which had quickly become his favorite place in the entire world, but Enjolras did show him around the rest of his kingdom. Grantaire saw the Fields of Asphodel, which were vaguely depressing, and Elysium, where everyone looked like they were having a good time. He would have liked to visit, but he figured it might be awkward for an immortal being to party with the souls of the dead. 

He also met Cerberus, who turned out to be not as terrifying as he had expected a giant, three headed dog to be. Really, all dogs were the same once they were given belly scratches. Enjolras appeared to be impressed at how rapidly Cerberus became attached to Grantaire, apparently it wasn't common for fierce, giant dogs to warm up to people so quickly. Who knew. 

But by far the best part of being in the Underworld was the time he could spend with Enjolras. He was definitely busy, ruling the dead required some strict hours, but Enjolras always sought him out when he had free time, and they ate dinner together every night. Shy was never a word which would describe Enjolras, but in the days after their conversation and subsequent confessions, the hesitance he had developed was slowly disappearing. Personal space had dissolved into proximity, which had turned into long stretches of lazy cuddling or more heated kisses, both of which generally ended with them sharing a bed, panting and sweating. 

One thing he didn't expect was for Combeferre to come for a visit, bringing trouble with him. 

When he arrived, Enjolras and Grantaire were in the garden, sitting underneath the pomegranate tree. Enjolras was talking animatedly about the different atrocities the humans had committed today, and Grantaire was listening while turning a pomegranate over in his hands. Grantaire had taken to staring at Enjolras' face while he talked, entranced by the amount of emotion that was available there and amazed at how open he was. They were both so occupied that they hadn't noticed Combeferre until he cleared his throat, sending them both to their feet in surprise. 

Enjolras' face was excited and guarded, unsure of what was happening "Combeferre! It's good to see you. What are you doing here in the Underworld? If you had need of me, you really only had to write."

"I'm not here on business Enjolras, I want to talk to Grantaire," Combeferre's face was solemn but not unkind. 

"I'm here, what is it you need me for?" Grantaire had to physically restrain himself from taking Enjolras' hand for support, and settled for flexing his fingers to calm his nerves. 

"I want to speak to you about your... situation here. Do you want to go inside, or some place more private?"

Grantaire bristled, though he wasn't sure why, "No, actually, I'm perfectly fine here. Anything you want to say, you can say in front of Enjolras." Thankfully, Enjolras had taken his hand so he didn't have to attempt to himself. 

With a heavy sigh, Combeferre adjusted his stance and looked directly at Grantaire, "I guess there's just the one thing that I have to make sure of. Grantaire, are you happy here?"

"Yes." His reply was instantaneous. There was no doubt that Grantaire was, in fact, happy in the Underworld. More importantly, he was happy with Enjolras. Grantaire couldn't remember a single time in his life when he had been happier, and he wasn't about to lose it now. 

Combeferre smiled easily, loosely, and his shoulders lost some of the tension they had been carrying. "Good. Then I guess I'm done here."

"What were you doing here in the first place?" Enjolras seemed put out that Combeferre even had to ask if Grantaire was happy being with him, "You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt him. So why are you checking up on us?"

"There have been... complaints while Grantaire has been here with you. It's been two months, and no one's heard from him since you abducted him."

"Two months? Shit, really? Oh damn, Eponine's gonna be pissed," Grantaire had thought about contacting Eponine, but he hadn't known how since Marius didn't take messages from the Underworld. And even if he had, what was he going to say? "Hi, I'm not there right now because I'm staying with Enjolras, and we're kind of dating now and he loves me so my life is basically complete"? Yeah, that already sounded like a shitty idea. 

Combeferre chuckled, "Yes, she's a little angry."

"I did not _abduct_ him," Enjolras looked offended, which was hilarious for many reasons, "I simply-"

"You fucking liar!" All three men turned to see Eponine striding down a path, looking furious. 

"Ep!" Grantaire went to stop her, but she brushed by him, walking right up to Enjolras and poking him in the chest. Enjolras appeared to be unable to decide whether to be affronted or terrified.

"You took him without his permission, and with force. Now, you need to give him back. You had no right taking him, it was a shitty thing for you to do," Eponine was spitting, she was so angry. 

"Eponine!" Grantaire pulled her away and put his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Look, I'm fine, see? He isn't mistreating me, and I'm happy to be here. I can make my own decisions, I promise."

"No you can't! He's brainwashed you, you don't know what you're doing! You're coming with me right now." She attempted to pull him away, but was stopped by Enjolras' hand on her shoulder. 

"If you think I could make Grantaire do anything he didn't want to, you are sorely mistaken." Enjolras' voice was arctic, contempt in every word. "It's offensive to him and me that you could think I would force him into anything."

"You _kidnapped_ him! You have lost the right to say anything about this situation." Eponine hissed back, not intimidated in the slightest. 

Grantaire pushed between them and spoke firmly, "Stop this right now. Enjolras, back up. I know you didn't brainwash me, but you need to stand down. Ep, he's right. He didn't brainwash me, he didn't need to. You know I love him, I told you that before I ever came down here, and it turns out he loves me too. I'm going to stay here with him, and I'm sorry if that's not what you want, but I've made my choice."

"You can't leave me, R, please. If you go, I'll only have Jehan up there. I hate it down here, it feels like death. Please, Combeferre, make him come back." Eponine steeled herself again and turned to face Combeferre, "If he doesn't come back, I won't restore life. The Earth will still be barren, and the humans will all die. I know that isn't what you want."  
Combeferre sighed and rubbed his forehead. Why couldn't his life be simple? Courfeyrac could have been leader of the gods but no, they wanted Combeferre to do it.   
"Eponine, you came down here, and you saw Grantaire. He's happy. There's nothing I can do. If sending him to the surface would make Grantaire unhappy-"

"Which it would," he growled.

"Then I don't want to do that either. Travel down here is very difficult, and I don't know if he could come back. Would you want him to be unhappy?" 

"No, I guess not." Eponine sighed. "R, are you sure you don't want to come back? I'll miss you if you stay down here all the time."

"I might have an idea." Grantaire walked back to the bench he and Enjolras had been sitting on, and picked up the pomegranate he had been holding in his hands. He had been toying with this idea for a while, might as well try it now. 

"So, the problem is that you want me to come back, and I do want to visit, but I might not be able to return to Enjolras if I do. Is that right?"

"Yes," Combeferre sighed, "What do you propose be done about it?"

"What I'm saying is that I will come back with Eponine, but not until April. Then, I'll come back to the Underworld in November, and stay here until next April. You'll come visit me when I'm up there, right?" He asked, turning to Enjolras, who looked very confused.

"Yes, of course, but it won't be very often. I do have a lot of work. But are you sure you want to leave? I thought you were happy with me."

"Don't be silly," Grantaire pulled him close for a quick kiss, more reassurance than anything else. "I love you. But I can't leave Earth, especially if Ep doesn't want to let anything grow." He shot her a crooked grin. "Her temper tantrums are legendary."

"Shut up. I just don't want you stuck down here forever." Eponine grumbled, "You'd miss me too much."

"You're right, I probably would. So I'll spend half the year in each place, and the world will only die half a year, because Eponine is very dramatic." With that, Grantaire cracked the pomegranate open and ate a few of the seeds. He grinned and said, "There, now you can't keep me away. Six seeds, six months."

Enjolras stared at him with heat in his eyes, "We need to go back inside right now. I'm going to absolutely ravish you."

Grantaire laughed and pulled Enjolras behind him towards the house, waving back at Combeferre and Eponine, "See you both in April! Feel free to visit anytime." 

Combeferre looked at Eponine and she sighed, "Fair enough. I don't want him to be unhappy. And this way, I can see him for part of the year. And they'll be disgustingly happy where I can't see it, so that's a plus."

Combeferre smiled and put his hand on her shoulder, "No worries, I'm pretty sure they'll be disgusting and lovey everywhere."

Eponine sighed.

\---

Inside the house, Grantaire kisses Enjolras deeply, and presses him up against the door. Breaking away, he gasps, "Are you angry with me?"

Enjolras' brow furrows and he answers, "No, why? You get to stay with me, that's all I wanted."

"But I have to leave," Grantaire looks down at his feet, "I promise, I'll be back, but I do have to go."

"I know. And I would never try to take your freedom away from you," Enjolras puts a hand on his face, forcing him to look up. "But I trust you'll come back to me, because you love me."

Grantaire grins, "I do. Rather desperately." His grin turns dirty as he says, "And now, I'm going to take you into my bedroom and show you exactly how much." Enjolras rolls his eyes as he is pushed through the door.

April will come, but they have a lot of time until then. And all that matters is they spend it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking with me! I've really enjoyed writing this fic, and hope to do more in the fandom soon.  
> Comments are always appreciated and give me the warm fuzzies <3  
> Come and say hi on tumblr! shipalltheboats.tumblr.com   
> Much love

**Author's Note:**

> I already have this written, so I'll be posting once every two days or so. Let me know if you want it to be sooner. Much love.


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